99-543: The Two Together Railcard is a scheme which gives discounts on certain types of railway ticket in Britain . Launched nationally in 2014 after a successful trial in 2011–12, it was the first new Railcard scheme since the 1980s. It is available to any two named individuals aged 16 or over and is priced at £ 30.00 (as of 2024). There is no restriction on the number of times the Railcard can be used to purchase discounted tickets during
198-497: A 'membership organisation that works on behalf of the rail industry to create a simpler, better railway for everyone in Britain.' The two generally coincide where passenger services are run. Most major Network Rail lines also carry freight traffic and some lines are freight only. There are some scheduled passenger services on privately managed, non-Network Rail lines, for example Chiltern Railways which runs on both Network Rail track and tracks owned by London Underground . Although
297-484: A UK domestic train service was the Hull Trains 07.30 King's Cross to Hull , which covered the 125.4 km (77.9 miles) from Stevenage to Grantham in 42 minutes at an average speed of 179.1 km/h (111.3 mph). This was operated by a Class 180 diesel unit running "under the wires" at the time, and is now operated by Class 802 Paragon bi-mode units, operating on electric power on this section. This
396-521: A contactless debit/credit card. Contactless also covers some areas that Oyster doesn't such as the Elizabeth line to Reading, or the Thameslink station at Oakleigh Park. The most common types of tickets available include 'advance' tickets, that specify a specific route and timing between two destinations, 'off-peak' tickets, either as a single or a return, that allow a passenger to use a train at hours where
495-485: A discount of 1 ⁄ 3 of the price of train tickets but cannot be used on morning peak time journeys, defined as those between 0430 and 0929. The discount applies to First Class and Standard Class fares, including advance purchase tickets. The card is only valid for use on journeys where both named cardholders are present and both purchase a ticket for the same journey. It is primarily aimed at encouraging couples to travel by train instead of by car (when travelling as
594-635: A new high-speed railway in the UK. This study began on the assumption the route would be a new purpose-built high-speed line connected to High-Speed 1 to the Channel tunnel and from London to the West Midlands , via Heathrow Airport , relieving traffic on the West Coast Main Line (WCML). Conventional high-speed rail technology would be used as opposed to Maglev . The rolling stock would be capable of travelling on
693-570: A number of technical manuals on which travel on the railways in Great Britain is based, such as the National Rail Conditions of Travel , via their website. Pocket timetables for individual operators or routes are available free at staffed stations. The last official printed timetable with up to 3000 pages was published in 2007. Now the only complete print edition is published by Middleton Press (as of October 2016). A digital version of
792-657: A number of heritage (mainly steam) standard and narrow gauge railways, and a few industrial railways and tramways. Some lines which appear to be heritage operations sometimes claim to be part of the public transport network; the Romney, Hythe and Dymchurch Railway in Kent regularly transports schoolchildren. Most major cities have some form of commuter rail network . These include Belfast , Birmingham, Bristol, Cardiff , Edinburgh, Exeter , Glasgow , Leeds , Liverpool, London and Manchester . There are four main goods operating companies in
891-652: A number of other joint railways such as the Midland and Great Northern Joint Railway and the Cheshire Lines Committee as well as special joint railways such as the Forth Bridge Railway, Ryde Pier Railway and at one time the East London Railway ). The "Big Four" were joint-stock public companies and they continued to run the railway system until 31 December 1947. The growth in road transport during
990-469: A pair, because the cost of fuel can be split between the two people the cost of two train tickets would typically be more expensive). Larger groups travelling by train may already be covered by the GroupSave discount. Railcards can be issued online or at railway station ticket offices. They are mostly purple in colour and have passport-sized photographs of both cardholders on the front (the trial version had
1089-422: A record 22.7 billion net tonne kilometres (14 billion net ton miles) of freight movement were recorded in 2013–4, against 16.6 billion (10.1 billion) in 1986–7, an increase of 38%. Coal made up 36% of the total net tonne kilometre , though its share was declining. Rail freight had increased its market share since privatisation (by net tonne kilometres) from 7.4% in 1998 to 11.1% in 2013. Growth
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#17330854485221188-463: A renaissance in recent years, with passenger numbers approaching their highest ever level (see usage figures below). This has coincided with the privatisation of British Rail , but the cause of this increase is unclear . The growth is partly attributed to a shift away from private motoring due to growing road congestion and increasing petrol prices, but also to the overall increase in travel due to affluence. Passenger journeys in Britain grew by 88% over
1287-473: A separate Photocard). On the APTIS , PORTIS/SPORTIS and other computerised ticket issuing systems, a "status code" field is provided on each ticket issued. This is left blank if an adult is travelling at full (undiscounted) fare; but if any discount or other special condition applies, a code of up to five letters appears. The status code 2GETH is used to identify a ticket bought with a Two Together Railcard. In
1386-426: A valid ticket boarding a train at a station where ticket-buying facilities are available are required to pay the full Open Single or Return fare. On some services penalty fares apply – a ticketless passenger may be charged the greater of £20 or twice the full single fare to the next stop. Penalty Fares can be collected only by authorised Revenue Protection Inspectors, not by ordinary Guards. National Rail distributes
1485-582: Is one of the busiest railways in Europe , with 20% more train services than France , 60% more than Italy , and more than Spain , Switzerland , the Netherlands , Portugal and Norway combined, as well as representing more than 20% of all passenger journeys in Europe. The rail industry employs 115,000 people and supports another 250,000 through its supply chain. After the initial period of rapid expansion following
1584-438: Is a brand used to promote passenger railway services, and providing some harmonisation for passengers in ticketing, while Network Rail is the organisation which owns and manages most of the fixed assets of the railway network, including tracks, stations and signals. However, the national rail website domain is managed by The Rail Delivery Group on behalf of UK based train operating companies. According to their own website, they are
1683-452: Is a large programme of upgrades to the network, including Thameslink , Crossrail , electrification of lines , in-cab signalling , new inter-city trains and new high-speed lines . According to historians David Brandon and Alan Brooke, the railways brought into being our modern world: The railways started with the local isolated wooden wagonways in 1560s using horses. These wagonways then spread, particularly in mining areas. The system
1782-672: Is according to the Office of Rail and Road and includes open access operators such as Grand Central and Hull Trains . There are 2,579 passenger railway stations on the Network Rail network. This does not include the London Underground , nor other systems which are not part of the national network, such as heritage railways. Most date from the Victorian era and a number are in or on the edge of town and city centres. Major stations lie for
1881-619: Is connected with that of continental Europe by the Channel Tunnel and High Speed 1 , opened in 1994 and 2007 respectively. In 2019, there were 1.738 billion journeys on the National Rail network, making the British network the fifth most used in the world (Great Britain ranks 23rd in world population). Unlike a number of other countries, rail travel in the United Kingdom has enjoyed
1980-434: Is the UK's largest and most accurate travel information website, peaking at more than 10 million visitors per day, more than its nearest competitors. The National Rail website includes a journey planner , fare and live departure information. The site is designed to complement the myriad different websites of Britain's privatised rail companies, so when users have selected which tickets they wish to buy, they are redirected to
2079-495: Is the joint responsibility of the Office of Rail and Road (allocation of paths) and Network Rail (timetable production and publication). Since March 2020 all ticket revenue has been collected by the Department for Transport, which also pays the operators' costs. Following the privatisation of British Rail there was no longer a single approach to railway corporate design. The look and feel of signage, liveries and marketing material
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#17330854485222178-576: The Class 252 , reached a world speed record for diesel trains of 143.2 mph, while the main fleet entered service limited to a service speed of 125 mph, and were introduced progressively on main lines across the country, with a rebranding of their services as the InterCity 125 . With electrification of the East Coast Main Line , high-speed rail in Great Britain was augmented with the introduction of
2277-571: The Class 91 , intended for passenger service at up to 140 mph (225 km/h), and thus branded as the InterCity 225 . The Class 91 units were designed for a maximum service speed of 140 mph, and running at this speed was trialled with a 'flashing green' signal aspect under the British signalling system . The trains were eventually limited to the same speed as the HST, to 125 mph, with higher speeds deemed to require cab signalling , which as of 2010
2376-588: The Department for Transport (DfT), with the exception of Merseyrail , where the franchise is awarded by the Merseyside Passenger Transport Executive . In Scotland, contracts for ScotRail , is awarded by Transport Scotland , and in Wales , contracts for Transport for Wales Rail , is awarded by Transport for Wales , although the latter is currently publicly owned with no plans for franchising in
2475-409: The Department for Transport 's Transport Ten Year Plan called for an 80% increase in rail freight. Statistics on freight are specified in terms of the weight of freight lifted, and the net tonne kilometre , being freight weight multiplied by distance carried. 116.6 million tonnes of freight was lifted in the 2013–4 period, against 138 million tonnes in 1986–7, a decrease of 16%. However,
2574-476: The Department for Transport . Transport for Wales Rail is owned by Transport for Wales , a Welsh Government owned company, with no current plans to re-privatise the latter. On 1 April 2022, ScotRail was put under public ownership by the Scottish Government , under Transport Scotland as ScotRail operating on the same day. The COVID-19 pandemic caused a huge fall in the number of passengers using
2673-563: The Elizabeth line (formerly TfL Rail ) are hybrids: Their services are operated via a concession awarded by Transport for London (TfL). They are part of National Rail as train operating companies , where tickets can be used in the same way as other operators, and shown in the National Rail timetable. However, under Transport for London, they are considered as separate networks. They are listed separately in all materials produced by TfL than National Rail, stations serving London Overground or
2772-411: The Elizabeth line only do not have the National Rail logo shown on either the station themselves or the tube map, and fares on these two networks are priced as TfL services, the same as London Underground , rather than National Rail services. The National Rail service status web page by TfL also does not list these two systems. London Overground also owns some infrastructure in its own right, following
2871-751: The Hatfield crash in October 2000. However, in June 2015 the PPM stood at 91.2% after a period of steady increases in the annual moving average since 2003 until around 2012 when the improvements levelled off. Train fares cost 2.7% more than under British Rail in real terms on average. For some years, Britain has been said to have the highest rail fares in Europe, with peak-time and season tickets considerably higher than other countries, partly because rail subsidies in Europe are higher. However, passengers are also able to obtain some of
2970-522: The London Underground uses its own tracks in the majority of its network, it also runs on Network Rail tracks and shares tracks with National Rail services, both on its own tracks and on Network Rail tracks. Twenty-five privately owned train operating companies were each franchised for a defined term by government in 1996–97. They operated passenger trains in Great Britain. However, franchises have ceased to exist and are being replaced by operating contracts, which do not involve significant commercial risk for
3069-497: The London Underground , Docklands Light Railway , London Tramlink , Blackpool Tramway , Glasgow Subway , Tyne and Wear Metro , Manchester Metrolink , Sheffield Supertram , West Midlands Metro and Nottingham Express Transit . On the other hand, the largely self-contained Merseyrail system is part of the National Rail network, and urban rail networks around Birmingham , Cardiff , Glasgow and West Yorkshire consist entirely of National Rail services. London Overground and
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3168-618: The Tyne and Wear Metro centred on Newcastle upon Tyne . Light rail systems in the form of trams are in Birmingham , Croydon , Manchester , Nottingham , Sheffield and Edinburgh . These systems use a combination of street running tramways and, where available, reserved right of way or former conventional rail lines in some suburbs. Blackpool has the one remaining traditional tram system. Monorails, heritage tramways, miniature railways and funiculars also exist in several places. In addition, there are
3267-421: The 1920s and 1930s greatly reduced revenue for the rail companies. Rail companies accused the government of favouring road haulage through the subsidised construction of roads. The railways entered a slow decline owing to a lack of investment and changes in transport policy and lifestyles. During World War II , the companies' managements joined, effectively forming one company. A maintenance backlog developed during
3366-972: The 2010s, many upgrades have been under way, such as Thameslink , Crossrail , the Northern Hub and electrification of the Great Western Main Line . Electrification plans for the Midland Main Line and the Transpennine line between Manchester and Leeds have been scaled back. Construction of High Speed 2 is underway, with a projected completion date of 2026 for Phase 1 (London to Birmingham) and 2033 for Phase 2. A poll of 1,500 adults in Britain in June 2018 showed that 64% support renationalising Britain's railways. Currently, six franchises are under public ownership, and thus effectively nationalised. Four, LNER , Northern Trains , Southeastern and TransPennine Express , are operators of last resort owned by
3465-622: The BBC, this represents the largest shake-up in the UK's railways since privatisation. On 18 November 2021, the government announced the biggest ever public investment in Britain's rail network costing £96 billion and promising quicker and more frequent rail connections in the North and Midlands: the Integrated Rail Plan includes substantially improved connections north–south as well as east–west and includes three new high speed lines. In July 2024,
3564-474: The National Rail logotype and is displayed on tickets, the National Rail website and other publicity. The trademark rights to the double arrow symbol remain state-owned, being vested in the Secretary of State for Transport . The double arrow symbol is also a generic symbol for a railway station across Great Britain, and is used to indicate a railway station on British traffic signs. The National Rail (NR) logo
3663-417: The National Rail network and mostly operate for heritage or pleasure purposes rather than as public transport, but some have connections to National Rail track. National Rail services have a common ticketing structure inherited from British Rail . Through tickets are available between any pair of stations on the network, and can be bought from any station ticket office. Most tickets are inter-available between
3762-510: The UK Government permanently got rid of the rail franchising system. On 20 May 2021, the Government announced a white paper that would transform the operation of the railways. The rail network will be partly renationalised, with infrastructure and operations brought together under the state-owned public body Great British Railways . Operations will be managed on a concessions model. According to
3861-401: The UK, the largest of which is DB Cargo UK (formerly DB Schenker, formerly English Welsh & Scottish (EWS)). There are also several smaller independent operators including Mendip Rail . Types of freight carried include intermodal – in essence containerised freight – and coal, metals, oil, and construction materials. The Beeching Cuts, in contrast to passenger services, greatly modernised
3960-598: The average Advance ticket in 1995 cost £9.14 (in 2014 prices) compared to £5.17 in 2014. Rail subsidies have increased from £3.4bn in 1992–93 to £4.5bn in 2015–16 (in current prices), although subsidy per journey has fallen from £4.57 per journey to £2.61 per journey. However, this masks great regional variation, as in 2014–15 funding varied from "£1.41 per passenger journey in England to £6.51 per journey in Scotland and £8.34 per journey in Wales." The public image of rail travel
4059-544: The average age to around 15 years by March 2021. Although passengers rarely have cause to refer to either document, all travel is subject to the National Rail Conditions of Travel and all tickets are valid subject to the rules set out in a number of so-called technical manuals , which are centrally produced for the network. Below are the estimated total number of journeys using heavy rail transport in Britain for each financial year. (This table does not include Eurostar, Underground or light rail services) The following table
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4158-686: The case of the InterCity West Coast and InterCity East Coast franchises, applicants submit bids to return the most money to the government from operating the service. This has led to franchisees collapsing when passenger growth targets are not met as promised payments to the government cannot be paid and the franchise is exited early. In 2023, Network Rail held over £59.1 billion in debt, and £1.176 billion interest payments. Many of these debts were incurred by Railtrack and transferred to Network Rail when it collapsed. British Rail operations were privatised during 1994–1997. Ownership of
4257-480: The cheapest fares in Europe if they book in advance or travel at off-peak times or purchase 'day-return' tickets which cost little more than a single ticket. UK rail operators point out rail fare increases have been at a substantially lower rate than petrol prices for private motoring. The difference in price has also been blamed on the fact Britain has the most restrictive loading gauge (maximum width and height of trains that can fit through tunnels, bridges etc.) in
4356-440: The coordination of transport in Great Britain. Rail revenue fell and in 1955 the network again ceased to be profitable. The mid-1950s saw the rapid introduction of diesel and electric rolling stock, but the expected transfer back from road to rail did not occur and losses began to mount. The desire for profitability led to a major reduction in the network during the mid-1960s, with ICI manager Dr. Richard Beeching commissioned by
4455-629: The domestic fleet of InterCity 125 and 225 trains on the existing national network was announced. In 2009 it was announced that the preferred rolling stock option for this project was the Hitachi Super Express family of multiple units, and they entered service in 2017 on the Great Western Main Line and in 2019 on the East Coast Main Line. The trains will be capable of a maximum speed of 140 mph with "minor modifications", with
4554-404: The end of September 2003, the first part of High Speed 1 , a high-speed link to the Channel Tunnel and onward to France and Belgium, was completed, significantly adding to the rail infrastructure of the country. The rest of the link, from north Kent to London St Pancras opened in 2007. A major programme of remedial work on the West Coast Main Line started in 1997 and finished in 2008. Since
4653-597: The existing Network Rail infrastructure if required, with the route intersecting with the existing WCML and the East Coast Main Line (ECML). A cancelled second phase of the project was planned to reach further north to Manchester, Sheffield and Leeds, as well as linking into the Midland Main Line . In June 2014, the chancellor of the Exchequer, George Osborne , proposed a high-speed rail link Northern Powerhouse Rail (also known as High Speed 3 or High Speed North) between Liverpool and Newcastle/Sheffield/Hull. The line would use
4752-399: The existing route between Liverpool and Newcastle/Hull and a new route from to Sheffield will follow the same route to Manchester Victoria and then a new line from Victoria to Sheffield, with additional tunnels and other infrastructure. As of August 2023 the following rolling stock on the British network is capable of 125 mph or more: In 2011, the fastest timetabled start-to-stop run by
4851-639: The financial effects of the COVID-19 pandemic . The UK government proposed a new state-owned public body, Great British Railways , which would operate a concession contract system on the network from 2023. As of November 2023 , legislation to establish the new body was said to be "unlikely" within the 2023–2024 parliamentary session. In the 2015–16 operating year, franchised services provided 1,718 million journeys totalling (64.7 billion billion passenger km) of travel, an increase over 1994–5 of 117% in journeys (from 761 million) and just over doubling
4950-520: The first of a new Class 395 train fleet for use partly on High Speed 1 and parts of the rest of the UK rail network, the first domestic high-speed running over 125 mph (to about 140 mph) began in December 2009, including a special Olympic Javelin shuttle for the 2012 Summer Olympics . These services are operated by the South Eastern franchise . The Intercity Express Programme for replacement of
5049-462: The first public railways in the early 19th century, from about 1900 onwards the network suffered from gradual attrition, and more severe rationalisation in the 1950s and 1960s. However, the network has again been growing since the 1980s. The UK was ranked eighth among national European rail systems in the 2017 European Railway Performance Index for intensity of use, quality of service and safety performance. To cope with increasing passenger numbers, there
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#17330854485225148-521: The first year since its launch, over 215,000 Two Together Railcards have been sold with the average user saving £127.48 over the card's one-year validity period. Rail transport in Great Britain The railway system in Great Britain is the oldest railway system in the world. The first locomotive-hauled public railway opened in 1825, which was followed by an era of rapid expansion. Most of
5247-668: The five geographical Regions were replaced by a Sectored organisation, in which passenger services were organised into InterCity , Network SouthEast and Regional Railways sectors. The Railways Act 1993 divided the railways up, with Railtrack taking ownership of British Rail's property portfolio, tracks, signals, bridges and tunnels, Rolling Stock Operating Companies, and train operating companies. Passenger transport services were bundled together into franchises to facilitate cross-subsidy within franchises, with many regulations on ticket prices and types, regulated fare increases and "Parliamentary service" obligations. Companies submit bids to
5346-434: The former British Rail Rail Alphabet lettering to varying degrees in station signage, although its use is no longer universal; however it remains compulsory (under Railway Group Standards) for safety signage in trackside areas and is still common (although not universal) on rolling stock. The British Rail typefaces of choice from 1965 were Helvetica and Univers , with others (particularly Frutiger ) coming into use during
5445-757: The franchising authority - often the Secretary of State for Transport, Passenger Transport Authority, or devolved government - competing for the lowest subsidy requirement and to invest in the railway over the lifespan of the franchise. There is also provision for subsidy between franchises, with profitable franchises demanding payments made to the government to cover a share of the losses from others. Examples of franchises include ScotRail , Great Western , and Southern Trains . Open Access Operators are entirely free to set their own services and fares unaffected by government regulations. Examples of such operators are Lumo and Grand Central , Hull Trains and Heathrow Express . In
5544-482: The full timetable is available as a pdf file without charge on the Network Rail website; however, passengers are recommended to obtain their timetables from the individual train companies. The National Rail website, previously called National Rail Enquiries, handles an average of 2.5 million journey planning enquiries every weekday through its website, apps and contact centre, and through information services supplied to third parties (such as open access data feeds). It
5643-452: The goods sector, replacing inefficient wagons with containerised regional hubs. Freight services had been in steady decline since the 1930s, initially because of the reduction in manufacturing and then road haulage's cost advantage in combination with higher wages. Since 1995, however, the amount of freight carried on the railways has increased sharply due to increased reliability and competition, as well as international services. In 2000,
5742-652: The government resisted calls for the nationalisation of the network (first proposed by 19th century Prime Minister William Gladstone as early as the 1830s). Instead, from 1 January 1923, almost all the remaining companies were grouped into the "big four": the Great Western Railway , the London and North Eastern Railway , the London Midland and Scottish Railway and the Southern Railway companies (there were also
5841-463: The government under Ernest Marples with reorganising the railways. Many branch lines (and a number of main lines) were closed because they were deemed uneconomic ("the Beeching Axe " of 1963), removing much feeder traffic from main line passenger services. In the second Beeching report of 1965, only the "major trunk routes" were selected for large-scale investment, leading many to speculate the rest of
5940-630: The most part in large cities, with the largest conurbations (e.g. Birmingham, Bristol, Cardiff , Edinburgh, Glasgow , Liverpool , and Manchester ) typically having more than one main station. London is a major hub of the network, with 12 main-line termini forming a "ring" around central London . Birmingham, Leeds, Manchester, Glasgow, Bristol and Reading are major interchanges for many cross-country journeys that do not involve London. However, some important railway junction stations lie in smaller cities and towns, for example York , Crewe and Ely . Some other places expanded into towns and cities because of
6039-404: The most relevant train company website, where they can buy their tickets without booking fees. In 2012 the website was joined by a mobile app mirroring its functionality. The app is available for iPhone , Android and Windows Phone . In June 2020, a real time personalised messaging service, Alert Me, was launched, providing real-time disruption and crowding information via Messenger. This
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#17330854485226138-472: The national network and the company's spiralling costs set in motion a series of events which resulted in the collapse of the company and its replacement with Network Rail , a state-owned, "not-for-profit" company, with risks underwritten by the taxpayer. According to the European Railway Agency , in 2013 Britain had the safest railways in Europe based on the number of train safety incidents. At
6237-415: The nation’s neglected railway industry". The NR title is sometimes described as a "brand". As it was used by British Rail, the single operator before franchising, its use also maintains continuity and public familiarity; and it avoids the need to replace signage. The lettering used in the National Rail logotype is a modified form of the typeface Sassoon Bold . Some train operating companies continue to use
6336-411: The near future and ScotRail was brought into public ownership in 2022. Initially, there were 25 franchises, some franchises have since been combined, others nationalised. There are also a number of local or specialised rail services operated on an open access basis outside the franchise arrangements; examples include Heathrow Express and Hull Trains . Many franchises were effectively abolished due to
6435-640: The necessary signalling modifications required of the Network Rail infrastructure in Britain likely to come from the phased rollout of the Europe-wide European Rail Traffic Management System (ERTMS). Following several studies and consultations on high-speed rail, in 2009 the UK Government formally announced the High Speed 2 project, establishing a company to produce a feasibility study to examine route options and financing for
6534-462: The network would eventually be closed. This was never implemented by BR. Passenger services experienced a renaissance with the introduction of the InterCity 125 trains in the 1970s. Passenger levels fluctuated since then, increasing during periods of economic growth and falling during recessions. The 1980s saw severe cuts in government funding and above-inflation increases in fares, In the early 1990s,
6633-509: The new Labour government confirmed that passenger services would be brought back into public ownership upon the expiration of their contracts as part of the wider renationalisation of the rail network. Passenger services in Great Britain were divided into regional franchises and run by mostly private (that is, non-state owned) train operating companies from 1995 to 2020. These companies bid for seven- to eight-year contracts to run individual franchises. Most contracts in England are awarded by
6732-514: The operators. The Rail Delivery Group is the trade association representing the TOCs and provides core services, including the provision of the National Rail Enquiries service. It also runs Rail Settlement Plan , which formerly allocated ticket revenue to the various TOCs, and Rail Staff Travel, which manages travel facilities for railway staff. It does not compile the national timetable, which
6831-659: The passenger train operating companies (TOCs) of England , Scotland , and Wales . The TOCs run the passenger services previously provided by the British Railways Board , from 1965 using the brand name British Rail . Northern Ireland , which is bordered by the Republic of Ireland , has a different system. National Rail services share a ticketing structure and inter-availability that generally do not extend to services which were not part of British Rail. National Rail should not be confused with Network Rail . National Rail
6930-538: The passenger miles. The passenger-miles figure, after being flat from 1965 to 1995, surpassed the 1947 figure for the first time in 1998 and continues to rise steeply. The key index used to assess passenger train performance is the Public Performance Measure , which combines figures for punctuality and reliability. From a base of 90% of trains arriving on time in 1998, the measure dipped to 75% in mid-2001 due to stringent safety restrictions put in place after
7029-663: The period 1997–98 to 2014 as compared to 62% in Germany, 41% in France and 16% in Spain. The United Kingdom is a member of the International Union of Railways (UIC). The UIC country code for United Kingdom is 70. The UK has the 17th largest railway network in the world ; despite many lines having closed in the 20th century, due to the Beeching cuts , it remains one of the densest networks. It
7128-647: The period of its validity, and there are no geographical restrictions on its use. A public trial version of the Railcard was launched on 5 September 2011. It cost £28.00 and could only be purchased at stations in the West Midlands region (the Birmingham , Coventry , Dudley , Walsall and Wolverhampton postcode areas ). The trial lasted until 19 May 2012 and was instigated by the Association of Train Operating Companies (ATOC), which gathered feedback and undertook research into its effectiveness. The Railcard
7227-474: The railway network. Swindon , for example, was little more than a village before the Great Western Railway chose to site its locomotive works there. In many instances geography, politics or military considerations originally caused stations to be sited further from the towns they served until, with time, these issues could be overcome (for example, Portsmouth had its original station at Gosport ). High-speed inter-city rail (above 124 mph or 200 km/h)
7326-435: The railways, with journeys in 2020 being about 22% of the previous year, before rising again as travel restrictions eased. During 2020, all train operating companies entered into emergency measures agreements with the UK and Scottish governments. Normal franchise mechanisms were amended, transferring almost all revenue and cost risk to the government, effectively 'renationalising' the network temporarily. In September 2020,
7425-433: The reopening of the former London Underground East London line and the extension to Barking Riverside . Eurostar is also not part of the National Rail network despite sharing of tracks and stations (along High Speed 1 ). Northern Ireland Railways were never part of British Rail, which was limited to England, Scotland and Wales. There are many privately owned or heritage railways in Great Britain which are not part of
7524-444: The same carbon commitment, which was referred to as 'The Green Travel Pledge' and was cited on its website and via Rail Delivery Group media. In June 2023 the website was completely overhauled with an entirely new frontend retaining little of the old designs but the brand logo remained. The website is quoted as saying its website is, "cleaner, more modern, and full of better information". In addition, its original mobile website which
7623-402: The sectorisation period after 1983. TOCs may use what they like: examples include Futura ( Stagecoach Group ), Helvetica ( FirstGroup and National Express ), Frutiger ( Arriva Trains Wales ), Bliss ( CrossCountry ), and a modified version of Precious by London Midland . Several conurbations have their own metro or tram systems, most of which are not part of National Rail. These include
7722-510: The service is not busy, and 'anytime' tickets, which can be used on any train. Season tickets, which offer unlimited travel between two stations for a specified period, are also available. A 'rover' travel card ticket also exists that allows unlimited travel in a set area or on services of certain operators, for a certain period of time. Rovers which allow unlimited travel for only one day are sometimes referred to as ranger tickets, and are usually available for smaller areas. Passengers without
7821-498: The services of all operators on routes appropriate to the journey being made. Operators on some routes offer operator-specific tickets that are cheaper than the inter-available ones. Through tickets involving London Underground , or to some ferry services ( RailSail tickets) are also available. Oyster pay-as-you-go can be used on National Rail in Greater London from 2 January 2010. These same areas can also be journeyed to using
7920-454: The survey started) to 83% in 2013 and the number of passengers not satisfied with their journey dropped from 10% to 6%. Since privatisation, passenger levels have more than doubled, and have surpassed their level in the late 1940s. Train fares cost 2.7% more than under British Rail in real terms on average. However, while the price of anytime and off-peak tickets has increased, the price of Advance tickets has dramatically decreased in real terms:
8019-596: The tilting train Class 390 Pendolino fleet designed for this maximum speed of service were still built and entered service in 2002, and operates limited to 125 mph. Other routes in the UK were upgraded with trains capable of top speeds of up to 125 mph running with the introduction between 2000 and 2005 of Class 180 Adelante DMUs and the Bombardier Voyager DEMUs (Classes 220 , 221 and 222 ). The first implementation of high-speed rail up to 186 mph in regular passenger service in Great Britain
8118-541: The track and infrastructure passed to Railtrack , whilst passenger operations were franchised to individual private sector operators (originally there were 25 franchises) and the goods services sold outright (six companies were set up, but five of these were sold to the same buyer). The government said privatisation would see an improvement in passenger services and satisfaction (according to the National Rail Passenger survey) has indeed gone up from 76% in 1999 (when
8217-525: The track is managed by Network Rail , which in 2017 had a network of 9,824 miles (15,811 km) of standard-gauge lines, of which 3,339 miles (5,374 km) were electrified . In addition, some cities have separate metro, light rail and tram systems, among them the historic London Underground and the Glasgow Subway . There are also many private railways , some of them narrow-gauge , which are primarily short lines for tourists. The main rail network
8316-470: The war and the private sector only had two years to deal with this after the war ended. After 1945, for both practical and ideological reasons, the government decided to bring the rail service into the public sector . From the start of 1948, the "big four" were nationalised to form British Railways (latterly British Rail ) under the control of the British Transport Commission . Although BR
8415-512: The website. However, the website was quickly reverted back to its original design the same day following customer accessibility feedback. In July 2021 the Department of Transport published the world’s first ‘greenprint’ to decarbonise all modes of domestic transport by 2050 in the UK. It was published two months before the climate summit COP26, and planned to provide a world-leading ‘greenprint’ to cut emissions from 'seas and skies, roads and railways'. The nationalrail.co.uk website also signed up to
8514-469: The world which means any trains must be significantly narrower and less tall than those used elsewhere. This means British trains cannot be bought "off-the-shelf" and must be specially built to fit British standards. Average rolling-stock age fell slightly from the third quarter of 2001–02 to 2017–18, from 20.7 years old to 19.6 years old, and recent large orders from Bombardier and its acquirer Alstom , as well as CAF , Hitachi and Stadler , brought down
8613-486: Was a single entity, it was divided into six (later five) regional authorities in accordance with the existing areas of operation. Though there were few initial changes to the service, usage increased and the network became profitable. Regeneration of track and railway stations was completed by 1954. In the same year, changes to the British Transport Commission, including the privatisation of road haulage, ended
8712-526: Was a sub-domain (m.nationalrail.co.uk now redirects) was switched off. Earlier in 2024 National Rail's digital journey planner was also switched off and redirected to the new version. Online Journey Planner (OJP) was the engine used to plan routes, calculate fares and establish ticket availability. The OJP accesses real-time information directly from Darwin, meaning all journey plans take account of delays, schedule changes and train cancellations. The OJP data feed APIs are available for use under licence. Darwin
8811-622: Was first introduced in Great Britain in the 1970s by British Rail. BR had pursued two development projects in parallel, the development of a tilting train technology, the Advanced Passenger Train (APT), and development of a conventional high-speed diesel train, the High Speed Train (HST). The APT project was abandoned, but the HST design entered service as the British Rail Classes 253, 254 and 255 trains. The prototype HST,
8910-587: Was followed in September 2021 by a similar service made available through WhatsApp. The service was closed in June 2023 leaving only a simple SMS based messaging service in place for customers. Both services were provided by a British transport technology company Zipabout. In April 2021 the National Rail website turned from colour to greyscale in a tribute to The Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh who had died. The gesture however backfired after users highlighted accessibility issues and complained they could no longer use
9009-741: Was introduced by ATOC in 1999, (previously British Rail logo as used from 1965), and was used on the Great Britain public timetable for the first time in the edition valid from 26 September in that year. Rules for its use are set out in the Corporate Identity Style Guidelines published by the Rail Delivery Group, available on its website. "In 1964 the Design Research Unit—Britain’s first multi-disciplinary design agency founded in 1943 by Misha Black, Milner Gray and Herbert Read—was commissioned to breathe new life into
9108-486: Was largely the preserve of the individual TOCs. However, railway reforms which are currently in progress will restore the pre-privatisation position, with design responsibilities for the whole network resting with the new 'guiding mind', Great British Railways. However, National Rail continues to use BR's famous double-arrow symbol , designed by Gerald Burney of the Design Research Unit . It has been incorporated in
9207-487: Was later built as a patchwork of local lines operated by small private railway companies. Over the course of the 19th and early 20th centuries, these amalgamated or were bought by competitors until only a handful of larger companies remained (see Railway Mania ). The entire network was brought under government control during the First World War and a number of advantages of amalgamation and planning were revealed. However,
9306-454: Was launched nationally on 3 March 2014 at a cost of £30.00, although for the first six months a 10% discount was given if it was bought online and a promotional code was quoted. The Two Together Railcard was the first new Railcard scheme to be launched for more than 30 years. The scheme was similar to British Rail 's "Voyager" Railcard, which was sold for a few years in the 1980s and which was only available to purchase by post. The card offers
9405-574: Was matched by several Leeds to London Class 91 -operated East Coast trains if their two-minute recovery allowance for this section is excluded from the public timetable. A number of towns and cities have rapid transit networks. Underground technology is used in the Glasgow subway , Merseyrail centred on Liverpool, London Underground centred on London, London Overground and the London Docklands Light Railway centred on London, and
9504-550: Was not in place on the normal British railway network (but was used on the Channel Tunnel Rail Link). A final attempt by the nationalised British Rail at High Speed Rail was the cancelled InterCity 250 project in the 1990s for the West Coast Main Line. Post privatisation, a plan to upgrade the West Coast Main Line to speeds of up to 140 mph with infrastructure improvements were finally abandoned, although
9603-562: Was partly due to more international services including the Channel Tunnel and Port of Felixstowe , which is containerised. Nevertheless, as of 2008, network bottlenecks and insufficient investment in catering for 9' 6" high shipping containers restricted growth. National Rail National Rail ( NR ) is the trading name licensed for use by the Rail Delivery Group , an unincorporated association whose membership consists of
9702-441: Was severely damaged by a series of significant accidents after privatisation. These included the Hatfield accident , caused by a rail fragmenting due to the development of microscopic cracks. Following this, the rail infrastructure company Railtrack imposed over 1,200 emergency speed restrictions across its network and instigated an extremely costly nationwide track replacement programme. The consequent severe operational disruption to
9801-531: Was the Channel Tunnel Rail Link (now known as High Speed 1 ), when its first phase opened in 2003 linking the British end of the Channel Tunnel at Folkestone with Fawkham Junction in Kent. This is used by international only passenger trains for the Eurostar service, using Class 373 and Class 374 trains. The line was later extended all the way into London St Pancras in 2007. After the building of
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